"They are going faster than the Vande Bharat Express" - Aakash Chopra on Mayank Yadav and Nitish Reddy's inclusion as traveling reserves for NZ Tests

Aakash Chopra has noted that Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been 'super fast-tracked' after their inclusion among the four traveling reserves for India's upcoming Test series against New Zealand. He opined that uncertainties surrounding Mohammed Shami's availability for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy might have forced the selectors to include four seam-bowling options as traveling reserves for the home series against the Kiwis.

The Indian selectors recently picked a 15-member squad for the three-Test series against New Zealand starting in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 16. Apart from Mayank and Nitish, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana have been included as traveling reserves.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Mayank and Nitish have enjoyed a meteoric rise.

"After COVID, this is the first time you have picked four traveling reserves. It includes Prasidh Krishna, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The four traveling reserves shows that the preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has started. They will bowl in the nets, their workloads will be managed, and they will be watched very closely," he said (7:10).

"It's probably because they are not yet sure about Shami's status. Mayank Yadav's first-class experience is almost next to nothing. Nitish Kumar Reddy is being invested in as he could be in your scheme of things. The Indian team are super fast-tracking them. They are going faster than the Vande Bharat Express because the rise of Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy is like a hockey stick," Chopra added.

Mayank picked up two wickets at an average of 23.00 in his solitary first-class game till date. Nitish has played 20 first-class matches, aggregating 627 runs at an average of 20.22 and accounting for 54 dismissals at an average of 25.61.

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"Their fascination for a left-arm seamer is probably no longer there" - Aakash Chopra on Yash Dayal's absence

Yash Dayal was part of India's squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh. [P/C: BCCI/X]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Yash Dayal's non-inclusion in the main squad and the traveling reserves might imply that the think tank is no longer looking for a left-arm pacer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Yash Dayal is not there in the team. He was there in the last series but isn't there in this one. His absence means their fascination for a left-arm seamer is probably no longer there. There were talks about Arshdeep (Singh) and Yash Dayal, and the Australia tour and all of that," he said (8:35).

However, the former India opener added that the selectors might alternatively be looking to prepare the left-arm seamer for the Australia tour through the Ranji Trophy and the India A tour Down Under.

"Now you have left them. Yash hasn't played but based on whatever you might have seen in the practice sessions, you might have realized that he is not ready, or else you are thinking that he should be allowed to play first-class cricket, and then you would send him for the India A tour," Chopra observed.

Chopra concluded by pointing out that Dayal and Harshit Rana, who is only part of the reserves, are unlikely to feature in the Test series against New Zealand. He added that it implies that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Kolkata Knight Riders will have the option of retaining them for ₹4 crore as uncapped players before the IPL 2025 auction.